hill wife
beside the grave
the ties gave
was she there
everywhere
in the fern
or return
when he called her
of black alder
on her lips
the fresh chips
or felled tree
she was free
and no child
and too wild
Copyright Credit: Jody Gladding, "hill wife" from Translations from Bark Beetle. Copyright © 2014 by Jody Gladding. Reprinted by permission of Milkweed Editions. www.milkweed.org
Source: Translations from Bark Beetle (Milkweed Editions, 2014)